Merger gives Eckert Seamans firm added presence in Trenton

The Pittsburgh-based law firm Eckert Seamans said it will acquire Trenton’s Sterns & Weinroth on April 1, bringing a 13th office to the company and pushing the attorney count to more than 385.

“Sterns & Weinroth is among the most highly respected firms in New Jersey. We were tremendously impressed with them from the time that we were first introduced,” said Eckert Seamans CEO Timothy P. Ryan.

Eckert Seamans said the combined firm will have a greatly enhanced presence in New Jersey, and will continue the firm’s expansion of its regional footprint, with more than 130 lawyers in the New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Philadelphia metropolitan markets. Eckert Seamans said the addition of Sterns & Weinroth strengthens its core areas of litigation, real estate, land use, environmental and governmental affairs.

“The combination with Eckert Seamans represents a tremendous opportunity for both of our firms, and, most importantly, our clients,” said Sterns & Weinroth managing director William J. Bigham. “The combined firm will result in increased capabilities and depth of talent in order to more effectively represent clients in a larger geographic area with an expanded scope of services.”

In January, Eckert Seamans opened its 12th office, in Newark, and the firm now has offices from Boston to Richmond, Va. Eckert Seamans said the Trenton office, at 50 W. State Street, enables the firm to further expand its client base into New Jersey and provide additional resources to existing clients in the region.

Along with Newark, the firm opened an office in Providence, R.I., in January, and added seven more attorneys to its Boston office.

David Katzenstein, member-in-charge of the Newark office, joined Eckert Seamans in January from McGivney & Kluger.

“I saw this as an exciting opportunity to join a growing firm with an existing platform tailor made for my national practice, and I look forward to leveraging my experience to play an integral role in building its New Jersey, New York and national presence,” he said.